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James Bond is one of the most iconic characters in film history, and set the groundwork for what a great movie franchise would look like. Although there were certainly movie sagas with multiple entries made before Dr. No was released in 1962, the Bond films introduced the idea of a compelling film hero going on multiple adventures. Over the course of many great installments, the Bond franchise has gifted moviegoers with innumerable classic moments, great antagonists, and exciting set pieces.
Bond fans may be looking for other spy films to watch, as there has yet to be a firm announcement on where the 007 franchise is headed next after Daniel Craig exited the role following the release of No Time To Die at the end of 2021. Here are the ten best movies to watch if you like James Bond.
11 ‘North by Northwest’ (1959)
Directed by Alfred Hitchcock
North by Northwest is one of the best films that Alfred Hitchcock ever made, which is no faint praise considering that the “Master of Suspense” is responsible for some of the greatest thrillers in the history of the medium. Although Hitchcock had experimented with the espionage genre in classics like Notorious and Foreign Correspondent, North by Northwest introduced the idea of a road trip adventure featuring gadgets, double crosses, and fight scenes held in unusual locations.
Cary Grant’s performance in North by Northwest defined what “movie star charisma” is all about, and certainly inspired Bond actors like Sean Connery and Roger Moore when they developed their onscreen personas. The infamous biplane chase scene in the middle of North by Northwest had a deep connection to the action-packed moments in Bond films like The Living Daylights and The Spy Who Loved Me.
10 ‘The Eiger Sanction’ (1975)
Directed by Clint Eastwood
The Eiger Sanction is probably the closest that Clint Eastwood ever got to playing James Bond, as the notion of an American western star stepping into the shoes of Ian Fleming’s British secret service agent was never going to happen. Eastwood directed and starred in The Eiger Sanction as a spy and part-time professor who is recruited for a top secret mission that involved the scaling of a massive cliff.
Eastwood captures the smooth charisma and coldhearted ruthlessness of Bond in this thrilling spy caper that forces the audience to constantly second guess who is really in control. The film’s infamous mountain climbing scenes were ahead of their time in terms of the use of practical stunts, and it’s easy to see how they may have inspired the iconic opening scene in Goldeneye that introduced Pierce Brosnan as the new Bond.
9 ‘Mission: Impossible’ (1996)
Directed by Brian De Palma
Mission: Impossible is perhaps the most popular spy movie franchise of all-time outside of the Bond series, and has its roots in the classic 1960s television show of the same name. Although it became a film saga that would grow bigger and bolder with each installment, the original Mission: Impossible film from director Brian De Palma is a masterwork of suspense and intrigue.
The original Mission: Impossible served as the perfect origin story for Tom Cruise’s Ethan Hunt, as it’s the death of his team members in the chilling opening sequence that inspires him to remain so closely loyal to his friends in each of the subsequent sequels. Mission: Impossible- Fallout in particular has been praised as one of the greatest action movies ever made, but the incredible train chase at the end of the original Mission: Impossible is still a breathtaking sequence that holds up very well today.
8 ‘The Thomas Crown Affair’ (1999)
Directed by John McTiernan
The Thomas Crown Affair gave Brosnan the opportunity to play another super cool spy character, as the 1999 film from director John McTiernan served as a remake of the 1968 caper film of the same name that starred Steve McQueen. Brosnan stars as the titular criminal, who performs a series of high profile art heists whilst falling in love with a secret service agent (Rene Russo) assigned to track him down.
The Thomas Crown Affair includes all the great stunts, exciting chases, cheeky humor, and sexy romance scenes that Bond fans could want, and is one of the rare remakes that surpasses its original in almost every way imaginable. Ironically, The Thomas Crown Affair gave Brosnan a better opportunity to play a suave spy character than many of the actual Bond films he starred in, as both The World Is Not Enough and Die Another Day fell massively short of expectations.
7 ‘The Bourne Identity’ (2002)
Directed by Doug Liman
The Bourne Identity is another one of the most important spy films of the 21st century, as it took a more grounded approach to international espionage and conspiracies than many of the sillier films that preceded it. Although there are great things about every film in the franchise, The Bourne Identity did a great job at setting up Jason Bourne (Matt Damon) as a reluctant hero who is wrestling with the revelations about his past.
Ironically, The Bourne Identity ended up inspiring the Bond franchise to take a gritty approach when Craig took over the role from Brosnan. Die Another Day felt so silly when it was released the same year that The Bourne Identity came out that Casino Royale took a considerably darker take on the material that felt like an attempt to emulate what Doug Liman had done.
6 ‘Confessions of a Dangerous Mind’ (2002)
Directed by George Clooney
Confessions of a Dangerous Mind is a cheeky homage to classic spy movies that plays upon the audience’s familiarity with iconic characters like Bond. Sam Rockwell gives one of the most underrated performances of his career as a game show host that is recruited to become a secret agent for a CIA director (George Clooney).
Although it’s grounded in an American aesthetic and political structure, Confessions of a Dangerous Mind explores the vulnerability of espionage agents in the same way that many Bond films have done well. The Bond films are also a lot funnier than they are often given credit for, and the biting satirical edge of Confessions of A Dangerous Mind reflects the same wacky humor that fans of Moonraker, A View To A Kill, Live and Let Die, and the other campier 007 films may find themselves enjoying.
5 ‘Layer Cake’ (2004)
Directed by Matthew Vaughn
Layer Cake was essentially Craig’s audition tape to play Bond, as it was shortly after appearing in Matthew Vaughn’s great directorial debut that he was announced to be 007 in Casino Royale. Although it’s stylistically indebted to Snatch and the other gangster films of Guy Ritchie, Layer Cake is a sharp examination of espionage and intrigue that features one of Craig’s most charismatic performances.
Layer Cake proved that Craig could play sharp, morally dubious characters that worked as both action heroes and romantic leads. Although the film certainly has a sinister edge to it, there’s also a lot of great snarky humor that fans of the Bond films may appreciate. The Bond franchise is known for representing the way that Great Britain is perceived within popular culture, and Layer Cake offered a more well-rounded portrayal of the London mafia scene than most other crime movies.
4 ‘The Good Shepherd’ (2006)
Directed by Robert De Niro
The Good Shepherd offered a more comprehensive look at the development of modern espionage than most other spy movies, as it loosely examined the creation of the CIA from the perspective of several of its founding members. Bond films like Skyfall and On Her Majesty’s Secret Service have been hailed for their gritty approaches to the material, and The Good Shepherd is able to draw in real history to contextualize the way that the CIA’s reputation emerged.
The Good Shepherd is brilliantly directed by Robert De Niro, and features Academy Award nominated production design and excellent performances by a stacked cast of character actors. While it may not be as action-packed as some of the Bond films, fans of the franchise may appreciate a project that takes itself a little more seriously, and is willing to engage with the dark history of modern spycraft.
3 ‘Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy’ (2011)
Directed by Tomas Alfredson
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy is based on one of the best novels by the legendary spy fiction writer John le Carre, whose work helped to define the Cold War era. Fans of the Bond franchise will remember that From Russia With Love and Goldfinger were deeply infleunced by the tensions between the United Kingdom and the Soviet Union, and Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy latches on to similar themes in its story of the master spy George Smiley (Gary Oldman) and his attempt to discover a hidden Russian agent in MI6.
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy is a nifty thriller filled with double crosses, changing identities, and shocking plot twists, featuring a stacked cast of some of the best British actors working today. Those that enjoy the more intellectual pleasures of the Bond franchise may enjoy the measured, ruthless thrills that Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy has up its sleeve.
2 ‘Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery’ (1997)
Directed by Jay Roach
Of course it’s impossible to bring up movies in the spirit of James Bond without mentioning the most iconic (and best) Bond parody: Jay Roach‘s original Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery starring Mike Myers in the title role (arguably the most famous role of many brought to life by the wildly successful Saturday Night Live alum). In the first film that spawned a blockbuster trilogy, the highly quotable and outrageous playboy spy faces off against world domination-obsessed Dr. Evil (also Myers) after years of cryofreeze.
So much of the film belongs to Myers, though it’s certainly worth mentioning the terrific supporting turns from (among others) Elizabeth Hurley, Seth Green, Michael York, Mindy Sterling and Robert Wagner The Austin Powers movies would get a little weaker as they went along (though the box-office returns would only snowball), but they’re all quite funny, breezy entertainment that function as loving homage and merciless spoof of the long-running 007 franchise.
1 ‘The Man From U.N.C.L.E.’ (2015)
Directed by Guy Ritchie
The Man From U.N.C.L.E. is a throwback to classic spy films from the 1960s that draws inspiration from the beloved television series of the same name. Henry Cavill gives his greatest performance ever as the American thief turned secret agent Napoleon Solo, a charismatic womanizer whose love of danger and drinking mirrors that of Bond.
The Man From U.N.C.L.E. features all the gadgets, gunplay, and cheeky humor that fans of the Bond franchise would want, and is stylized in a unique way that feels quite similar to the early Bond films starring Connery. Although Cavill is often floated as an actor that could potentially take over the role of Bond in a future installment, it’s unfortunate that The Man From U.N.C.L.E. was a commercial disappointment, as it clearly had the potential to be a great franchise in its own right.
